


Three Gold Fish and a Malfunction

by staristired



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Carnival, Fair, First Kiss, M/M, giveaway prize, i miss the boys, post bench scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 03:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20789588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staristired/pseuds/staristired
Summary: First place prize of my giveaway for lilaaugenringe on tumblr!TJ and Cyrus go to the fair with their friends, and TJ manages to convince Cyrus to try to knock things off his list of things he can't do while they're there.





	Three Gold Fish and a Malfunction

It had been about a month since TJ and Cyrus held hands on the night of Andi’s party. Nothing was really official yet, though. It kind of made Cyrus nervous because he didn’t know exactly how serious TJ was about him or if he was even serious at all. He did hold his hand every waking chance that he got and listen to him talk about his day every day. It felt unreal that he got to talk to the boy he had been crushing on for months, knowing that he liked him, too.

He just couldn’t call him boyfriend or anything. He was honestly just scared they were going to end up in another Jonah and Andi situation, and it was all going to fall over.

Cyrus was laying in his bed, about to fall asleep when his phone went off. He checked it and saw it was a message from the group chat. Not only did it have the GHC, but it also had Marty, TJ, and Jonah.

**Buffy: **Me and Marty were thinking about going to the fair tomorrow and thought it’d be more fun as a group. You guy’s down?

**Marty: **come thruuu

**Andi: **What time?

**Buffy: **1?

**Andi: **sure sounds fun :)

**Jonah: **down

Cyrus didn’t really want to go. He had nothing but bad experiences at the fair. He didn’t want to have to admit to TJ he was afraid of most of the things at the fair and would probably throw up. But at the same time, he wanted an excuse to spend time with TJ and the rest of the crew before summer started wrapping up.

**Cyrus: **see ya’ll there

**TJ: **same here

**Buffy: **this feels fake. Making plans with a friend group this large should not be this easy

**Andi: **we’re not 20 yet

Cyrus slid out of the group chat and went to go message TJ privately as the rest of them went off on a tangent about growing old.

**Cyrus: **just so you know, I’m afraid of basically everything at the carnival

**TJ: **its okay cy. We can just stay low and play some games and share a pretzel or whatever

**Cyrus: **I mean, I can get on rides if you want. Just not more than three unless the we want the pretzel to come back up

**Cyrus: **we don’t

**TJ: **gjhsfjkghs don’t worry cyrus we don’t have to go on anything you find scary

**TJ: **unless

**Cyrus: **oh no

**TJ: **you want to get some carnival rides off your list of things you can’t do

**Cyrus: **i really put some carnival rides on there?

**TJ: **just three. We can do one or two if doing three gets too much.

**Cyrus: **what rides did I put on that cursed list

**TJ: **you put down the hammer, the haunted tunnel, and the mirror maze???

**Cyrus: **I think I have a repressed memory in the mirror maze bc I literally can’t remember why ive never gone in there and I guess we can do the haunted tunnel if you hold my hand

**TJ: **deal :)

**TJ: **shouldn’t you be asleep???

**Cyrus: **yah

**TJ: **goodnight cyrus <3

**Cyrus: **goodnight teej <3

-

Cyrus woke up and remembered his plans for the day. He felt like he was going to throw up the breakfast he hadn’t eaten yet. He sighed and got up to get ready for the day. He quickly checked his phone and saw that there was 206 unread messages in the group chat. It must’ve been a boring night compared to their usual 800. Then again, he wasn’t up to double text.

It was a few hours before TJ and his mom picked him up. It was a nice car ride. TJ’s mom didn’t know that TJ was gay, but Cyrus had a gut feeling that she knew something was up between them. She didn’t really treat him differently, but she had that look mothers had in their eye when they knew something was up.

That's the way Cyrus mom looked at him when he first started bringing TJ around. She sort of knew, but she didn't say anything. Cyrus kind of hoped she would say anything else besides, "I like that TJ kid." But she didn't, so he did. It wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. He knew his parents loved him, so he doesn't know why he was so scared, but he still was.

It was like being with TJ. He knew TJ liked him, so he didn't know why he was scared.

TJ and Cyrus entered the fair and sat at the bench that the others would show up. They started holding hands the minute TJ's mom drove away. It was nice. Summer wasn't overbearing, and TJ looked nice in his stripped navy blue T-Shirt and tanned skin. Cyrus couldn't help but stare for a little.

"See something you like?" TJ smirked, leaning back on the bench and pretending to do a hair flip.

Cyrus rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah. That piece of gum stuck on this bench seems pretty appetizing." TJ immediately looked around and saw the piece of gum stick between them on the bench.

"Gross," TJ shook his head.

"Hey, guys," Jonah showed up smiling. The boys greeted him as they saw the rest of them walk up behind him.

"You guys ready to go?" Buffy grinned, holding hands with Marty who was staring at her the same way Cyrus was staring at TJ.

"Yeah," TJ nodded, "let's go throw up."

"I'd rather not," Andi laughed as TJ and Cyrus stood up. They walked around as a group, looking at carnival games. It was fun watching Buffy and Marty get competitive and end up with too many stuffed animals in less than an hour. They had to hand some out to some little kids walking by.

TJ pulled Cyrus to the side and won him a stuffed frog in a basketball game. Cyrus could've taken the extremely big stuffed animal, but the smaller frog had a tight lip "smile" that reminded him of TJ.

"Thanks," Cyrus smiled, looking up at the taller boy.

"It's nothing," TJ laughed, putting his arm around him. "Let's go find the rest before we get lost." Cyrus and TJ caught up to Andi and Jonah who were trying to get a fish.

"Where are Buffy and Marty?" Cyrus asked as Andi tossed a ball into a fish bowl. It went to the side.

"In the mirror maze," she pointed in a different direction. "I'm trying to help Jonah win a fish."

"It's the only pet the apartment lets us have, so," Jonah shrugged before tossing another ping pong ball.

"Want to do the mirror maze?" TJ raised his eyebrows at Cyrus. Cyrus agreed without hesitation and walked over with him. They didn't have to wait in line and walked right in.

"Why did you put this in the list?" TJ asked him as they held hands through the thing.

"I have no idea?" Cyrus laughed. "Maybe it was about my self-esteem. You can only look at yourself for so long before you start to think that you're ugly."

"Well, you're not," TJ said, squeezing his hand tighter as they went through a corner. Cyrus looked in the mirror ahead and saw that TJ was softly smiling. "You're actually really cute."

Cyrus expressed a content smile as he continued following TJ through the rest of the maze.

"You're cute, too, TJ," Cyrus finally told him after a few seconds of silence. "A lot cuter than a piece of gum."

TJ burst out laughing, "Gee, thanks, Cyrus," he turned back for a second to smirk at him. "My self esteem is through the roof right now."

"I do what I can," Cyrus smiled. They continued walking, the mirrors getting blurrier and some having distorted vision.

"Do you hear that?" TJ asked him. "I think Buffy and Marty are ahead." Cyrus listened and like TJ said, Buffy and Marty were laughing up ahead. They followed their laughter and found them at the exit of the maze where they were laughing at their funky appearances. Buffy turned to them and waved.

"Come take a picture with us," she laughed, "this is gold." The boys approached them and posed for a few photos for Buffy before they all walked out. They went to go look for Andi and Jonah who were sitting at a bench, three goldfish in their laps. "Oh my gosh," Buffy ran up to them. "Why did you get so many?"

"How did you get so many?" Marty asked, standing right behind Buffy.

"I felt bad only having one alone, and I ended up with three," Jonah shrugged. "I already named them Baby Tator, Tator-Tot, and the Patoto Famine."

"One is not like the others," Cyrus said, at they all laughed at Jonah's names.

"It's kind of like the others," Jonah said.

"How are you going to get on rides if you have fish now?" Marty asked him.

"I was going to wait, but I already have an upset stomach from the hot dog smell, and I'd rather not," Jonah smiled.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. "We're going on the hammer next?"

"Cyrus can take my place," Jonah smiled. "I'll take care of your guy's things."

Buffy smiled excitedly at Cyrus, "You want to go on the hammer?" Before Cyrus could say anything, she dragged him by the arm away.

"Buffy," Cyrus gasped, "I haven't even agreed yet."

"That's why we're going before you change your mind!"

"Your logic has a lot of faults in it!" Cyrus said as she stopped at the line. Cyrus looked up at the tall ride going as people screamed their lungs out. He looked to the side and saw a girl throwing up in a garbage can. He winced. TJ, Marty, and Andi showed up after a few minutes. Cyrus held TJ's hand very tightly. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

"I believe in you," TJ told him, "it'll be fun."

"You agreed to hold my hand the entire time and if I'm scared enough to suddenly become strong and break your hand, I'm sorry." TJ chuckled.

"It's going to be fine, Cyrus," TJ reassured him, "I promise." The line got shorter and shorter, and Cyrus felt his heart shrink every second. Next thing he knew, he was strapped in and screaming.

"The ride hasn't started, Cyrus," TJ laughed, reaching over to hold his hand. "It'll before over before you know it." Within a few seconds, the ride was on and Cyrus was screaming his lungs off along with TJ. But it wasn't horrible. He started having fun after a few moments after the initial terror. He smiled that he could finally enjoy rides like these with his friends instead of staying back every time.

When he got off, everyone was looking at him.

"Well," Andi grinned, pieces of hair sticking out of her headband, "did you like it?"

"Yeah," Cyrus smiled, "I actually did." The rest of his friends cheered on before walking out to the busy fair to look for something else.

"I promised you that it would be fine," TJ told him, putting his arm around him as they walked.

"It's now noted that you keep your promises," Cyrus told him with a huge smile. His heart was beating extremely fast and both the closeness to TJ and the fair ride had made him sweat. But he didn’t really care. He was really comfortable around TJ.

“So,” TJ said to him, “ready for the tunnel of horror?” Buffy quickly turned around to look at them happily.

“Cyrus!” she gasped. “You want to go on the Tunnel of Horror?”

“Can I say yes this time?” Cyrus raised and eyebrow at her as she jumped back and forth on her heels.

“I guess,” she said, waving her arms around.

“Ye-“ before Cyrus could finish, Buffy was already dragging him to the next ride like she had for the first one. “Do you even know where it is?”

“I know everything,” she said like it was a fact. Cyrus felt content as he heard the rest of his friends trail behind them. TJ and Marty were talking and Jonah caught up to them with his arms full of fish. It was a good day to try new things.

They got to the short line for the tunnel of horror. “I think we’ll be able to go on by the next set of cars,” TJ said as he stood next to Cyrus, holding his hand once again.

“I heard it kind of sucks this year, so it shouldn’t be too scary for Cyrus,” Buffy nudged him. “If not, I wouldn’t bring him in. The last two years have been horrifying.”

“Are you just trying to make me feel better?” Cyrus asked.

Buffy raised her arms up in defense, “The line is short for a reason.” The next set of carts showed up individually every 30 seconds, each one holding two people. First, Marty and Buffy got on one and disappeared into the tunnel. Next, Andi, Jonah, and Jonah’s three kids got on. Finally, TJ helped Cyrus onto the cart and they pulled the bar down to lock themselves.

The car started moving and Cyrus and TJ were being pulled into the dark tunnel, creepy music playing instantly. A fake door shut behind them loudly as they were in, hiding the last ounces of daylight. One hand on the bar, Cyrus used the other one to hold TJ’s hand.

“How long is this ride?” Cyrus asked TJ right before getting startled by a monster jumping in then out.

TJ strained to hold back his laughter as he said, “Maybe five to ten minutes? Why?”

“I am not having fun in this dark space,” Cyrus said, holding his hand tighter, jumping once more as a fake witch laughed behind him.

“It’s okay, Cyrus,” TJ said. “None of this is real. We’ll be out before you know it.”

Then the ride stopped. Cyrus and TJ looked at each other, barely able to see anything in the dark. Then the music stopped, and the lights turned on. Cyrus knew he looked terrified. He felt stuffed in the cart even if they had so much room. He looked around the tunnel and saw all the fake monsters and lanterns strewn around, the fake bats on the ceiling. A little bit ahead, there was a projection of a wolf howling at the moon. Then he looked at TJ who wasn’t saying anything either.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” someone said over the intercom, “there has been a failure in the system, and we are getting mechanics on the grounds immediately. Both of the main doors can’t open at the moment so please remain in your seats until further notice to avoid getting harmed. If this takes more than hour, we will call 911.”

Cyrus was sweating now. A lot. The tunnel felt like it was radiating nothing but heat, and he pulled his hand away from TJ’s in embarrassment. But in a few seconds, he wanted it back. He wasn’t sure what was going on in his head anymore. He looked forward and saw the projection of the wolf howling. Over and over and over again. And again. And again. And he looked up at the fake bats. They started looking fuzzier, they had eyes now. Cyrus was sweating anymore. Then he realized TJ had been talking to him the entire time. TJ had his arm around him and was squeezing his hand

“Hey, Cyrus. Cyrus. Talk to me? Cyrus? Are you okay?” TJ nervously talked to him. He also seemed shaken up. “I need you to take a few deep breaths for me, okay? Cyrus? Nod. Can you nod so I know you’re listening?” Cyrus nodded. TJ sighed in relief, “Okay, Cy. Let’s take a deep breath in.” Cyrus breathed in. “Now out.” Cyrus exhaled. They did that a few times. “Good job, Cyrus,” TJ said as Cyrus rested his head on his shoulder.

Things felt fine now.

“Are you feeling better?” TJ asked him. Cyrus weakly nodded. “Just think of good things. Your family, friends, music, the spoon, baby tators… the patato famine,”

“People died, Thelonious,” Cyrus whispered, cracking a tiny smile and making TJ let out a small snort. That made Cyrus laugh himself. “Did you just snort,” Cyrus sat up to look at him. TJ was blushing, hiding his face with the back of his hand. “That was cute.” TJ put his hand down after a while.

“Well,” TJ sat back, “I didn’t promise that we’d be out in a little bit.”

“I think I’d rather go on the hammer again,” Cyrus sighed, looking at him closely. TJ turned to look at the brown eyed boy and smile.

“I like that you liked the other one more. It’s funny,” TJ said, reaching over to brush some hair out of Cyrus’ forehead.

“Why?” Cyrus said, leaning his head into TJ’s hand.

“Just is,” TJ was whispering now, looking between Cyrus’ eyes and his lips. “Can I kiss you?” Cyrus’ heart could have not beat faster any other time in his life. He nodded and leaned into TJ who had already found his lips with his own.

_So kissing is supposed to feel like a bunch of stars _Cyrus thought to himself.

When they pulled away, Cyrus’ nose was touching TJ’s, and he asked him, “What are we TJ?”

“I was just waiting for the moment, actually,” TJ have him a smile, giving him another small his before saying, “I think now is an alright time to ask you to be my boyfriend.” Cyrus nodded happily, kissing him again.

The two boys were in the tunnel for about forty minutes, laughing and talking about a lot of cheesy things, before the wagons started moving again. Only, the lights stayed on as they heard over the intercom, “Thank you for waiting. We are sorry for the inconvenience. All riders will be taken off immediately as the ride is going to be shut down for the day.”

The group met outside, TJ and Cyrus being the last ones to get off.

“You guys alright?” Andi asked them as they approached them.

“All good,” Cyrus nodded, smiling widely.

“Too good,” Buffy smirked, “dish it out.” TJ and Cyrus blushed, wondering how she figured it out so fast.

“Uh,” Cyrus said nervously, “I guess we’re boyfriend and boyfriend now.” The entire group let out of loud cheers and tackled them both into a group hug, making Cyrus’ heart feel full of love. Maybe fairs weren’t so bad after all. You just needed the right group of people. The right person. TJ was his person.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while Andi Mack fandom. Ya'll still alive? I mean, it's only been like two months, but I feel like this fandom crashed down FAST compared to other fandoms that linger for almost a year after the show finishes. I miss you guys and hope you're doing well. Thanks for being my home for a very long time.   
The fics for this giveaway might be the last Andi Mack fics I ever do for a while, if not forever. I'm going to take down my unfinished AM fics because I don't see the point in teasing them out, you know?   
Lots of love,  
Star


End file.
